Sat May 14, 2022, 09:31 AM

Anyone else hate the auto-stop feature of newer cars?

I get the idea that it perhaps saves gas and lowers emissions but at what cost?

I often feels is dangerous because there is short perhaps 1 second delay when taking off from a stop. Its unnerving especially when trying to merge into fast traffic or making a left into oncoming traffic.

I also just had an incident yesterday when it nearly didnt restart while waiting at a busy intersection. It took about 3 seconds to finally start. I think my battery was weak so I had it replaced. It now works fine. But imagine if it didnt restart there in the middle of a very busy intersection.

I dont have any proof but I suspect all the auto stops and starts is why my battery didnt last very long. My car is only 2.5 years old.

There is an option to turn it off but you have to do each time to start the car. There is no memory from previous status. So I often forget to turn it off. If car designers simply provided a way to turn it off and keep it off would solve the problem. Apparently some cars do that like the BMWs but not Honda which is what I have.

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102 replies	Author	Time	Post
Anyone else hate the auto-stop feature of newer cars? (Original post)	honest.abe	May 14	OP
I got one of those in a rental in Netherlands and it freaked me out.	CurtEastPoint	May 14	#1
No.	WhiskeyGrinder	May 14	#2
Our 2020 KIA Soul has that.	MineralMan	May 14	#3
Yeah I had read it was something to do with epa standards.	honest.abe	May 14	#7
I don't see why they'd go against EPA regulations.	jimfields33	May 14	#12
I think there may be better more effective ways to save the environment.	honest.abe	May 14	#13
Why do you think this affects battery life?	Happy Hoosier	May 14	#38
Starting an engine is a heavy load on the battery.	honest.abe	May 14	#40
So you got a bad battery?	Happy Hoosier	May 14	#49
I never made any generalized conclusions.. just speculating.	honest.abe	May 14	#86
Common sense doesn't always translate	Happy Hoosier	May 14	#98
THINGS THAT CAN DRAIN YOUR CAR BATTERY	honest.abe	May 14	#99
If we want to save the environment we must rebuild our cities and society...	hunter	May 14	#51
Not on the KIA.	MineralMan	May 14	#22
You can buy a cable on Amazon to disable the auto stop function	dalton99a	May 14	#4
Apparently there are a number of these devises out there.	honest.abe	May 14	#9
First see if your top L gear setting emulates D.	roamer65	May 14	#62
That'll make your car flunk the smog test in California.	hunter	May 14	#48
They probably need to call those intrepid VW engineers. They know how to do everything.	JanMichael	May 14	#85
Hah!	hunter	May 14	#101
Try changing lanes	Tickle	May 14	#5
Maybe that's why battery warranties have been so shortened	bucolic_frolic	May 14	#6
Mine has that as default mode.	Tommy Carcetti	May 14	#8
I suspect newer vehicles won't last as long	dalton99a	May 14	#14
I have a 2017 Chevy Cruze and here is how I circumvent it.	roamer65	May 14	#10
I love it, have had that feature for a decade (Ford cars) and it works great.	OnDoutside	May 14	#11
My Kia K5 does it and I've learned to like it.	marmar	May 14	#15
Don't have that problem because my car is	Goonch	May 14	#16
+1. There is more than one keyhole	dalton99a	May 14	#21
No alchohol detector is a good thing?	CrackityJones75	May 14	#31
Uh yeah	Calculating	May 14	#90
Nanny state?	CrackityJones75	May 14	#95
Yeah	Calculating	May 14	#96
Riiiight.	CrackityJones75	May 14	#97
Mine is 14 yrs old nt	XanaDUer2	May 14	#23
My 2006 truck and 2012 SUV don't have the annoyance and I love them for it.	roamer65	May 14	#53
My 2007 doesn't have that issue either.	Dial H For Hero	May 15	#102
Ask your repair shop if the car has a battery sensor	Best_man23	May 14	#17
Nope. But I drive a Prius	NickB79	May 14	#18
Auto-stop is not a problem in EVs and hybrids	dalton99a	May 14	#43
I have a 2019 Kia Optima and gunned it at a green light.	DemocratSinceBirth	May 14	#19
That would be unnerving	MissB	May 14	#26
Yep. That has happened to me as well.	honest.abe	May 14	#27
Consensus here seems to favor that disabling systems that increase fuel mileage is OK	MichMan	May 14	#20
If the system has serious flaws then yes.	honest.abe	May 14	#28
What is the serious flaw?	CrackityJones75	May 14	#34
Did you read my OP?	honest.abe	May 14	#39
Mine works flawlessly	MichMan	May 14	#44
Yes mine probably has a "serious flaw".	honest.abe	May 14	#45
Absolutely, if it is dangerous. I drive in the city. I couldn't possibly have something like that...	Demsrule86	May 14	#41
It's definitely dangerous in urban settings.	roamer65	May 14	#55
It really does...and it is dangerous on a busy highway as you can't move immediately.	Demsrule86	May 14	#59
Only time I shut my engine off on a freeway or highway is if traffic is an extended dead stop.	roamer65	May 14	#61
It doesn't really increase fuel mileage that much.	roamer65	May 14	#47
No the consensus is "get off my lawn dagnabit."	BannonsLiver	May 14	#58
Interesting thread	sarisataka	May 14	#24
+1	CrackityJones75	May 14	#35
No, love it	obamanut2012	May 14	#25
If battery sits not fully charged it will sulphate & won't recharge properly	SheltieLover	May 14	#29
One more advantage	Zeitghost	May 14	#30
Auto-stop and CVT will send newer cars to an early grave	dalton99a	May 14	#42
Agreed	Zeitghost	May 14	#56
I have some kind of braking and warning features on my car.	ananda	May 14	#32
Yes. When my cars had that feature I would always turn it off as soon as I started the car.	beaglelover	May 14	#33
I have a Mazda CX30 and you can enable or disable the auto stop/start	mitch96	May 14	#36
Kick	dalton99a	May 14	#37
Am I the only one who's never heard of 'auto start/stop'?	Talitha	May 14	#46
You can circumvent it in a couple of ways.	Xavier Breath	May 14	#57
Thanks! My 2000 Envoy isn't going to last forever, so it's good to know these things.	Talitha	May 14	#79
This is the first I've heard of it, too.	Basic LA	May 14	#81
Well it's good to know I'm not alone, lol.	Talitha	May 14	#84
If people want to truly save fuel wasted in useless idling.	roamer65	May 14	#50
Yes, because when my previous car was in its death throes it would hesitate	tanyev	May 14	#52
I dont like it either.	SYFROYH	May 14	#54
Does anyone know the median age of DU?	BannonsLiver	May 14	#60
I saw a poll a while back. It seems we are mostly middle age and above. I am 78.	asa4ever	May 14	#80
You can disable it on most cars...	WarGamer	May 14	#63
GM vehicle?	roamer65	May 14	#67
That's clever...	WarGamer	May 14	#68
I wish I had one.	roamer65	May 14	#69
Maybe it's my formative years in the 70's-80's...	WarGamer	May 14	#70
I have a classic car.	roamer65	May 14	#71
Remember the "Give it 3 pumps of gas before turning the ignition"?	WarGamer	May 14	#72
1970 Chevelle.	roamer65	May 14	#73
OMG	WarGamer	May 14	#74
1969 and 1970 are expensive beasts now.	roamer65	May 14	#75
thx for the side discussion!! Nice to run into another "motorhead"...	WarGamer	May 14	#76
Np.	roamer65	May 14	#77
I had a car that I had to stick a piece of wood. . .	ironflange	May 14	#87
Back in my cars day, we called that a stalled engine.	Lancero	May 14	#64
I disabled it. It still makes a sound and flashes an alert when it thinks I need to brake	ecstatic	May 14	#65
"Over 1.7M Hondas probed for unexpected automatic braking"	ecstatic	May 14	#66
I like it a lot	jmowreader	May 14	#78
Adaptive Cruise Control question	Lucid Dreamer	May 14	#88
I've never been in the situation you describe, but manual braking would be prudent then	jmowreader	May 14	#91
His experience was Summer of 2019.	Lucid Dreamer	May 14	#93
I love it. nt	Celerity	May 14	#82
According to Google my Subaru	whistler162	May 14	#83
Yes. I despise it.	hamsterjill	May 14	#89
Yes.. that's precisely how I feel.	honest.abe	May 14	#94
Awful idea IMO	Calculating	May 14	#92
It's Just Part Of My Routine To Hit The Button Every Time	ChoppinBroccoli	May 14	#100

Response to honest.abe (Original post)

Sat May 14, 2022, 09:36 AM

CurtEastPoint (16,143 posts)

1. I got one of those in a rental in Netherlands and it freaked me out.

I pulled over and went through the manual and turned it off. This was a few years ago and I don't recall the model but it 'stuck' so I only had to do it one time. I find it annoying plus your other considerations you mentioned.

Anyone else hate the auto-stop feature of newer cars?

1. I got one of those in a rental in Netherlands and it freaked me out.

2. No.

3. Our 2020 KIA Soul has that.

7. Yeah I had read it was something to do with epa standards.

12. I don't see why they'd go against EPA regulations.

13. I think there may be better more effective ways to save the environment.

38. Why do you think this affects battery life?

40. Starting an engine is a heavy load on the battery.

49. So you got a bad battery?

86. I never made any generalized conclusions.. just speculating.

98. Common sense doesn't always translate

99. THINGS THAT CAN DRAIN YOUR CAR BATTERY

51. If we want to save the environment we must rebuild our cities and society...

22. Not on the KIA.

4. You can buy a cable on Amazon to disable the auto stop function

9. Apparently there are a number of these devises out there.

62. First see if your top L gear setting emulates D.

48. That'll make your car flunk the smog test in California.

85. They probably need to call those intrepid VW engineers. They know how to do everything.

101. Hah!

5. Try changing lanes

6. Maybe that's why battery warranties have been so shortened

8. Mine has that as default mode.

14. I suspect newer vehicles won't last as long

10. I have a 2017 Chevy Cruze and here is how I circumvent it.

11. I love it, have had that feature for a decade (Ford cars) and it works great.

15. My Kia K5 does it and I've learned to like it.

16. Don't have that problem because my car is

21. +1. There is more than one keyhole

31. No alchohol detector is a good thing?

90. Uh yeah

95. Nanny state?

96. Yeah

97. Riiiight.

23. Mine is 14 yrs old nt

53. My 2006 truck and 2012 SUV don't have the annoyance and I love them for it.

102. My 2007 doesn't have that issue either.

17. Ask your repair shop if the car has a battery sensor

18. Nope. But I drive a Prius

43. Auto-stop is not a problem in EVs and hybrids

19. I have a 2019 Kia Optima and gunned it at a green light.

26. That would be unnerving

27. Yep. That has happened to me as well.

20. Consensus here seems to favor that disabling systems that increase fuel mileage is OK

28. If the system has serious flaws then yes.

34. What is the serious flaw?

39. Did you read my OP?

44. Mine works flawlessly

45. Yes mine probably has a "serious flaw".

41. Absolutely, if it is dangerous. I drive in the city. I couldn't possibly have something like that...

55. It's definitely dangerous in urban settings.

59. It really does...and it is dangerous on a busy highway as you can't move immediately.

61. Only time I shut my engine off on a freeway or highway is if traffic is an extended dead stop.

47. It doesn't really increase fuel mileage that much.

58. No the consensus is "get off my lawn dagnabit."

24. Interesting thread

35. +1

25. No, love it

29. If battery sits not fully charged it will sulphate & won't recharge properly

30. One more advantage

42. Auto-stop and CVT will send newer cars to an early grave

56. Agreed

32. I have some kind of braking and warning features on my car.

33. Yes. When my cars had that feature I would always turn it off as soon as I started the car.

36. I have a Mazda CX30 and you can enable or disable the auto stop/start

37. Kick

46. Am I the only one who's never heard of 'auto start/stop'?

57. You can circumvent it in a couple of ways.

79. Thanks! My 2000 Envoy isn't going to last forever, so it's good to know these things.

81. This is the first I've heard of it, too.

84. Well it's good to know I'm not alone, lol.

50. If people want to truly save fuel wasted in useless idling.

52. Yes, because when my previous car was in its death throes it would hesitate

54. I dont like it either.

60. Does anyone know the median age of DU?

80. I saw a poll a while back. It seems we are mostly middle age and above. I am 78.

63. You can disable it on most cars...

67. GM vehicle?

68. That's clever...